https://daily.bandcamp.com/hidden-gems/u-tin-burmese-guitar-review?utm_source=notification
The late Burmese / Myanmar guitarist U-tin sounds good on my first quick listen
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 17:26 (two years ago) link
yes, sounds very interesting
― corrs unplugged, Wednesday, 18 August 2021 07:09 (two years ago) link
Yep
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 19 August 2021 14:12 (two years ago) link
Belatedly caught up with the new Ballaké Sissoko, who never disappoints. The chamber pop collabs (with Camille and Arthur Teboul of Feu ! Chatterton, among others) are more convincing than I expected and don't sound off in this context where most features involve African musicians (or musicians of African descent). The duo with Oxmo Puccino is the sole misstep as far as I'm concerned. By far one of the best French rappers of the late 90s/early 00s, he just sounds exhausted here, and his attempt at doing a spoken word bit falls flat.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 21 August 2021 14:19 (two years ago) link
New Sissoko album is called Djourou
― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 August 2021 14:05 (two years ago) link
Salif Keita’s voice is still so gorgeous on Sissoko cut Guelen
― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 August 2021 14:24 (two years ago) link
Saw a little video clip on an Ethiopian DC FB group of Tsedi , an Ethiopian singer performing before a big Sunday night crowd at the Hashtag Lounge in Alexandria, Virginia, pretty close to Washington DC. I don’t know her music but may investigate further at some point
― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 August 2021 15:43 (two years ago) link
was Habibi Funk 015 mentioned? it's very good on first listenhttps://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-015-an-eclectic-selection-of-music-from-the-arab-world-part-2
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 24 August 2021 13:36 (two years ago) link
wow there are 15 volumes of that? not sure I've heard a one—any particular volume to recommend?
― rob, Tuesday, 24 August 2021 14:37 (two years ago) link
this is a personal favorite https://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-010-mouasalat-ila-jacad-el-ard
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 24 August 2021 14:56 (two years ago) link
cheers, I'll check that out!
― rob, Tuesday, 24 August 2021 16:25 (two years ago) link
https://pan-african-music.com/en/nobesuthu-mbadu-dies-at-76/
Too many deaths of older musicians lately
Nobesuthu Mbadu of South Africa’s Mahotella Queens mbaqanga and vocal harmonies group
Sir Victor Uwaifo guitarist Barthalemy Attiso, guitarist for Orchestra Baobab
― curmudgeon, Monday, 6 September 2021 14:04 (two years ago) link
https://www.getrevue.co/profile/jonathanbogart/issues/exist-yesterday-2021-tropical-pop-2-may-aug-743619?utm_campaign=Issue&utm_content=view_in_browser&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Exist+Yesterday
Jonathan Bogart on his fave May to August 2021 pop/dance/ rap/reggae /soca songs
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 01:24 (two years ago) link
Really into this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0GKOazMFho
Falle Nioke & sir Was - Wonama yo ema
― sean gramophone, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 14:21 (two years ago) link
That sounds super nice
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 14:40 (two years ago) link
ooh that's lovely
― ufo, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 14:49 (two years ago) link
this newer, bangier track is good too - i think it's on the BBC Radio 6 playlist
Falle Nioke & Ghost Culture - Leywole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndqyUDPVBt0
― sean gramophone, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 15:00 (two years ago) link
Thanks for the Falle Nioke posts. Good stuff.
Unrelated-
Ethiopian New Year is Saturday. A couple of good live shows coming up this weekend in DC. One with guitarist Selamino who is on a Ethiopiques album or 2.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 9 September 2021 15:07 (two years ago) link
I checked Altın Gün's album because it was mentionned first on Popmatters mid-year list. It's a pleasant discovery: tasty mix of synths, grooves and Anatolian rock. It's light in a good way, without the superficial exotic I expect on such releases. For example the track of right now, Kesik Çayır, sounds kinda like the B-side of Remain in Light. I wouldn't mind a bit more edge and a world-class singer, but I think I'll check their previous album as well.
― Nabozo, Thursday, 9 September 2021 16:10 (two years ago) link
Following the author, I just found this. Fitting since I'm going to Kin soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0jF5QxNtI8Rey Sapienz & The Congo Techno Ensemble - Eza Makambo
― Nabozo, Thursday, 9 September 2021 16:42 (two years ago) link
https://www.businessinsider.com/afghanistan-taliban-kills-popular-folk-singer-days-after-music-ban-2021-8
Oh no.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 9 September 2021 18:33 (two years ago) link
Mecca-based MSYLMA, who made what I believe to be the best record of 2019, is coming out with a new one next Monday, a collaboration with producer ISMAEL. Some gorgeous preview tracks here: https://editionsappaerent.bandcamp.com/album/the-tenets-of-forgetting
Doesn't fit with a lot of the more "traditional" music that this thread catalogs, but is obviously influenced by Muslim devotional music and prayer practices. Really cool stuff.
― I'm a sovereign jazz citizen (the table is the table), Tuesday, 21 September 2021 15:25 (two years ago) link
I missed the 2019 album as well, so will check out both
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 21 September 2021 21:08 (two years ago) link
Some of 2019 Msylma is a bit too melodramatic for me, but much of it works.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 22 September 2021 12:34 (two years ago) link
Yeah, it is a little melodramatic, but I love it— and he does have quite a set of pipes.
― I'm a sovereign jazz citizen (the table is the table), Wednesday, 22 September 2021 16:38 (two years ago) link
Family responsibilities mean I can’t go see Cameroon’s longtime mokassa artist Petit Pays Friday night in a burb between DC and Baltimore, but he’s released a zillion albums that I haven’t heard and should check out
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 23 September 2021 15:25 (two years ago) link
Makossa
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 23 September 2021 15:26 (two years ago) link
Neha Kakkar from India is at the MGM theatre near me tonight, as well.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 24 September 2021 14:25 (two years ago) link
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/29/1041553988/googoosh-iranian-singer-american-tour
NPR story on Los Angeles based Iranian singer Googoosh who is on tour again
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 30 September 2021 14:23 (two years ago) link
More than 100 young artists, teachers and their relatives affiliated with the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, a celebrated school that became a target of the Taliban in part for its efforts to promote the education of girls, fled the country on Sunday, the school’s leaders said.
The musicians, many of whom have been trying to leave for more than a month, boarded a flight from Kabul’s main airport and arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, around midday Eastern time, according to Ahmad Naser Sarmast, the head of the school, who is currently in Australia. In the coming days, they plan to resettle in Portugal, where the government has agreed to grant them visas
From NY Times
― curmudgeon, Monday, 4 October 2021 13:24 (two years ago) link
Between helping my elderly Mom ( who’s more a Sinatra fan than a Mdou Moctar one) and moving locally in the DC area , I am way behind on my global listening.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 16 November 2021 16:26 (two years ago) link
https://afropop.org/articles/robson-banda-and-the-new-black-eagles-soweto
I need to listen to this reissue
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 17 November 2021 21:33 (two years ago) link
That Robson Banda and the new black eagles reissue has those zimbabwean and south african guitars from the 80s that I like
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 November 2021 16:16 (two years ago) link
. BLK JKS - Abantu/Before Humans
Saw this and Mdou Moctar on a best of 2021 album list in that thread of them
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 November 2021 16:17 (two years ago) link
Omar Souleymane now being held in a Turkish prison is bad news.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 19 November 2021 12:24 (two years ago) link
https://www.passionweiss.com/2021/11/16/afro-jams-of-the-week-november-16-2021/
Hmmm have I ever heard Sona Jobarteh who’s gonna be on cover of December Songlines and has a gig in London soon
― curmudgeon, Monday, 22 November 2021 16:21 (two years ago) link
That BLK JKS album is very busy with lots of sounds coming at you at once, sometimes I like it while other times it’s too jazz fusion/ prog busy for me.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 22 November 2021 16:38 (two years ago) link
learned recently that demola adepoju also played pedal steel on paul simon's "graceland" (the song). his solo album is amazing. any/all other nigerian/african pedal steel tips always totally welcome! https://t.co/PUnQ9dyfvF— jesse jarnow (@bourgwick) November 20, 2021
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 November 2021 20:51 (two years ago) link
https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/arooj-aftab-grammy-nomination-best-new-artist-things-to-know-1235001996/
Pakistani music for the masses. I like her but it’s interesting how she has managed to reach ilx, indie hipsters, and the Grammys
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 25 November 2021 17:08 (two years ago) link
I think it's because it's very good
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 30 November 2021 09:15 (two years ago) link
https://www.elderscornermovie.com/
This doc about Older Nigerian musicians looks promising
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 30 November 2021 20:08 (two years ago) link
Jon Pareles listed some additional albums that didn’t make his NY Times top list and he has Omar Sosa and East African Journey on it. Cuban pianist Sosa went to a number of countries and recorded with local musicians there.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 2 December 2021 17:19 (two years ago) link
Pareles has Bomba Estereo, Mon Laferte, & Mdou Moctar in his top albums plus in his 15 more deserving albums -Arooj Aftab, “Vulture Prince”
Khaira Arby, “New York Live” and Omar Sosa
― curmudgeon, Friday, 3 December 2021 11:51 (two years ago) link
Kumera Zekarias, a DC based Ethiopian singer/ guitarist who grew up in Texas , released a great record in April called Biyya Chonta that he recorded in Colombia with musicians from that country.
He hasn’t gotten huge Bandcamp or Spotify attention and doesn’t have a pr team ( he’s now studying ethnomusicology in Boston) but he’s worth checking out . I highlighted him earlier this year and his effort is one of my fave 2021 releases https://medium.com/seventhirty-dc/on-biyya-chonta-kumera-zekarias-creates-a-heady-blend-of-ethiopian-and-colombian-grooves-353a460a9beb
― curmudgeon, Friday, 3 December 2021 13:18 (two years ago) link
Les Filles at Pioneer Works is showing up on a few lists too
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 7 December 2021 06:06 (two years ago) link
Afropop. Org list isn’t due out till later. Anyone aware of some good lists involving old school or new school sounds from the global south or elsewhere?
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 7 December 2021 19:12 (two years ago) link
Saw Elder's Corner movie doc last night . A love letter to Nigeria focused on highlife, but also juju and afrobeat. Haven't seen the new Velvets or Beatles docs yet, but I saw this 2020 effort. The artists are enthused that the Nigerian musician/ director (first time film-maker I think) is taking them into recording studios as so many have been ignored for years. Ebenezer Obey, Sir Victor Uwaifo, the Lijadu Sisters, Tony Allen and many more previously unknown to me like EC Arinze and the Empire Rhythm Band. Spoiler alert- suddenly in the closing credits you learn that since the filming began for this effort and was completed that nearly 15 of the artists shown and talked to have passed. When a young London-born Nigerian music fan makes the shocking discovery that many Nigerian musical icons don’t possess copies of their own recordings, he returns to Lagos to re-record them. This film chronicles the music—from juju to Afrobeat and everything in between—and its parallels to Nigeria’s socio-political evolution from the colonial 1950s through the nationalist movement and independence in the ’60s. Rare archival footage colors this performance-rich tour through the history of the nation’s music.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 9 December 2021 12:58 (two years ago) link
Filmmaker Siji Awoyinka and producer Ade Bantu for Elder's Corner.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 9 December 2021 13:00 (two years ago) link
That sounds really great! hopefully it will show up somewhere I can see it soon
― rob, Thursday, 9 December 2021 13:37 (two years ago) link